Acqua Azzurra - an Italian product?

We started dealing with this issue last October. The company involved is Aquatess Ltd of Mdina Road, Qormi, and we have been trying to obtain their comments ever since, to no avail.

Geoffrey Mifsud had written to us about two six-packs of Acqua Azzurra mineral water bottles which he bought under the impression that it was an Italian product. Indeed all the wording on the bottles is in Italian, there is the Italian flag, and the words suggest that Aquatess Ltd are bottling water under licence from an Italian company. However, when he got home he realised that, after all, it is a Maltese product.

He asked Aquatess: Where is the water coming from? Is it from an Italian source being bottled in Malta or is it Maltese water bottled in Malta giving people the impression that it is a foreign product?

Another point raised by Mr Mifsud is that all other bottles of water currently available from other local companies carry the words "bottled with the approval of the Public Health Department". Mr Mifsud asked: "Why is no such statement in Acqua Azzurra bottles?"

The point is that Aquatess have not replied to my requests for their comments on the issue. Another point is that it is possible for consumers to be misled into thinking that they are buying an Italian product.

Since I featured the case on January 19, Aquatess have not sent me their comments. All I received was a telephone call from their consultant. I explained that we would appreciate their side of the case in writing. I cannot write what is said in a telephone conversation.

On October 18 we sent Aquatess Ltd a copy of the letter Mr Mifsud had already sent them and copied in to myself. On November 26 we asked them for their comments, to no avail. On December 3 we sent a copy to the Department of Health and asked for their comments, also to no avail, and on December 17 we sent Aquatess Ltd a reminder asking for their comments, still to no avail.

When we are faced with such an attitude we do not give up. Therefore yet again we ask Aquatess Ltd and the Health Department for their comments for inclusion in this column.